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Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?


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Bort
User

Nov 28, 2014, 3:55 AM

Post #1 of 12 (5128 views)
  post locked   Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

My experience as a mechanic is building dragsters and formerly working as a heavy wheel diesel mechanic (strip mining equipment). So I have the skills needed to fix things myself but not all of the knowledge I'd like to have about newer combustion engines that run on gasoline and the electronics stuff in every-day passenger vehicles.

My 05 Jeep Liberty, again. Inspection is due. Engine light has been on for a week so I ran codes and it came up as bank one 02 sensor. I ordered the part, nobody local had it in stock, and a week later the light when out so I re-tested and...no errors. When the fault code was there I did have lower grade gas in it, and the light has come on before when I used very low grade gas but went off and stayed off when it got to high grade gas again.

The next day it went on again and it's been on since then. Could the grade of the gas I'm using cause an oxygen sensor to fart like this? I'm replacing it anyway. Just asking. And if my thought is correct that it is possible would using gas treatment help clean them off and prolong the other 3 sensors life span?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 28, 2014, 4:51 AM

Post #2 of 12 (5117 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

What grade are you using or did use and what does this vehicle call for if not plain "regular?"


Codes that pin down which sensor doesn't mean replace that sensor but rather it's not communicating with the whole show so there's a problem in that circuit. No code tells you exactly what to toss to fix something. Just unplug one and you'll get a code and sometimes that's the problem and ignoring it causes more. Staring at a CEL with no quick action frequently will domino to need a lot more than the original issue.


If same code came back to same sensor it about certainly wasn't the up front problem and needed to be diagnosed a bit more before just tossing it. Anything that causes and engine to not run right on the way it was intended will be hard on exhaust items like O2 sensors and converters(s) up to ruining them.


Whatever "improper" grade fuel you think might have caused a failure if it did at all isn't likely to be solved by some magic in a can now or nobody would need to fix much of anything would they?


T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 28, 2014, 5:51 AM

Post #3 of 12 (5112 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

There are literally dozens of different codes referring to the 0/2 sensor circuits and most of them are indicating something other than a bad sensor. We need the exact code numbers to help you.


To answer your question, no, the fuel grade will not damage a sensor. Incomplete combustion or other contaminants with ruin a sensor.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Nov 28, 2014, 5:54 AM)


Discretesignals
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Nov 28, 2014, 7:02 AM

Post #4 of 12 (5099 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

You shouldn't replace anything just because it is mentioned in the code description. Test, don't guess.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


Bort
User

Nov 28, 2014, 1:46 PM

Post #5 of 12 (5084 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

I was considering testing before replacing as D suggests but I have the money and don't know when they were replaced last. So I decided to just replace it although, yeah, it could be the wires aren't connected right or the air flow is clogged?

The codes are high and low voltage errors. I could be wrong and can accept that but if it wasn't communicating right the error would be different, right? It would say it fails to respond or something? Not that it's throwing wacky voltage?

I haven't read the entire oweners manual page to page. I'm not sure it does specify what grade of gas should be used. It might, but then also as most owners manuals suggest, it will probably say the highest you can get.

I learned it doesn't like low (below 89) grade gas from driving it. I put 87 in it one time and the engine light came on when I got below 1/4 of a tank. I ran the codes and nothing came up so the next time I got gas I put the highest grade I could get in it and as soon as that remaining 1/4 tank of gas expired....light went off.


(This post was edited by Bort on Nov 28, 2014, 1:53 PM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 28, 2014, 2:02 PM

Post #6 of 12 (5078 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

I could be wrong on the octane grade suggested that you found but haven't seen a vehicle yet that didn't clearly mark at the fuel gauge that it requires usually premium vs regular we think of as 87 rated Octane. I've never seen a car/vehicle suggest 89? I have seen 2 stroke weed whackers suggest 89!


Most all engines I've seen requiring other than regular are higher end and more performance vehicles that a Jeep!


T



Bort
User

Nov 28, 2014, 3:13 PM

Post #7 of 12 (5067 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

LOL! Weed whacker.

I'll check the gas cap to see if it says anything. This is my primary vehicle that I drive daily, several times a day. Nobody would knows it's querks better than I do. Every vehicle no matter what type of vehicle it is has it's own little querks that it's owner or primary operator learns and figures out how to compromise with or do a certain way to keep their whip happy. It doesn't like lower than 89. Engine light comes on if you put lower than 89 in it.

Even mechanically challenged people associate 87 grade gasoline and lower to be low grade, 89 to be premium, and 90s or above to be high grade.

I could also be wrong too but I don't recall ever seeing a gauge stating a grade requirement. They just say Unleaded Fuel Only for gasoline engines. Maybe the gas cap might say differently. I'll check all my vehicles including motorcycles and weed whacker. I'm curious now haha!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 28, 2014, 5:50 PM

Post #8 of 12 (5063 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

Are you going to give us the code numbers?

This vehicle calls for 87 Octane unless you are towing so forget the fuel idea.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Nov 28, 2014, 5:52 PM)


Bort
User

Nov 29, 2014, 2:18 PM

Post #9 of 12 (5046 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

It was both high and low voltage error codes in bank 1 sensor 2. I don't know the actual code numbers.

If I put anything lower than 89 in it the check engine light comes on. Poor fuel quality. Towing or not it doesn't do well with poor quality gas. A person learns these things about their own car that they drive every day. Thanks for the help.

Bank 1 sensor 2 location: Drivers side after the cat. Easy to get to.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Nov 29, 2014, 2:22 PM

Post #10 of 12 (5045 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

You may think it's the fuel to blame for that but it is not. We need exact code numbers to be able to help you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Bort
User

Nov 29, 2014, 2:33 PM

Post #11 of 12 (5040 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

I don't know the codes. I didn't save or memorize them and can't reproduce them because that issue isn't present now and I've learned how to avoid it - use high quality gas.

My question as to whether poor quality gas will cause an 02 sensor to throw a code was answered. No, most likely not. I wish I knew what could be causing the light to come on then but...problem solved. Question answered. Appreciated!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Nov 29, 2014, 2:37 PM

Post #12 of 12 (5039 views)
  post locked   Re: Can low grade fuel fault an O2 sensor?  

OK, I guess that means we can close this now.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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